It is believed that there are electronic stability programs which ensure that evasive maneuvers or lane-change maneuvers of a motor vehicle can be implemented in a stable and safe manner. In critical situations in which the vehicle oversteers or understeers, for instance, individual wheels are braked, the engine torque is reduced or other component are actuated, such as an active front axle steering system or an active wheel suspension, for instance, in an effort to stabilize the vehicle.
Such electronic stability programs usually regulate the yaw rate and/or the sideslip angle of a vehicle and intervene in the vehicle operation in the event that the controlled variable exceeds a specific threshold value. The threshold values are frequently selected such that a suitable compromise is achieved between high driving safety (by timely control interventions) and high comfort (by avoiding inappropriate or premature control interventions) for all potential driving situations. Known electronic stability programs thus intervene relatively early in some driving situations, and relatively late in other driving situations. However, this may pose a problem in some driving situations, for instance when the vehicle must evade an obstacle and the driver initiates steering only late. In such a case, an early control intervention causes the driver-desired evasive steering movement to be inhibited, so that the vehicle is unable to accelerate with sufficient speed in the transverse direction to avoid the obstacle. On the other hand, if the driver steers strongly and very early, the vehicle may begin to fishtail at the end of the evasive maneuver.